We live in a moment where knowledge is a monumental component of life, and for Black Americans, knowledge remains at the forefront of freedom. It was illegal for enslaved people to read or learn in a traditional sense; such acts were forbidden and often met with frightening consequences. Resistance to slavery was often preceded by knowledge or awareness that helped individuals recognize slavery as an unnatural condition. Any form of knowing became a tool of revolutionary action against oppression.
Freedom begins in the mind, which is why controlling knowledge remains central to white supremacist agendas. Today, under the leadership of the president of the United States, there is a coordinated attack on culture. It began with dismantling diversity and inclusion programs and cutting funding for cultural centers and initiatives. This attack now extends more visibly into education, affecting universities and museums that aim to teach the public about the past.
The president has infamously targeted Smithsonian Institutions, seeking to remove anything deemed “woke”; quite frankly, he is attacking Black history and culture and anything that does not uphold America as great. For the record, slavery was horrifying. Every aspect of it was terrible, and I do not believe anyone today can fully comprehend the terror inflicted on Black life during slavery and the years that followed emancipation. The National Museum of African American History and Culture offers a rich historical overview of Black life in America, beginning with the transatlantic slave trade, continuing through the Jim Crow era, and highlighting the development of Black culture and resistance. While several museums across the country have pursued similar projects, this is the first at a national level. It is now under scrutiny for its representation of history, and because many museums rely on government funding, the attack on the Smithsonian may be the first of many. Universities and colleges across the country are also cutting funding for, or completely removing, humanities and arts programs at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. This crisis began with declining student enrollment and has now escalated into the complete removal of programs projected over the next five years. While a number of higher educational institutions are reemphasizing their commitment to the humanities and the arts, these calculated moves demonstrate the importance of utilizing various methods of education to combat any silencing of the past.
As a humanities scholar, I am committed to uncovering the ways Black fiction prompts new perspectives on life in America. Black writers have crafted stories that convey life, history, and culture, humanizing and giving breath to the realities of Black life. This targeted attack on the humanities and arts seeks to erase access to history and its expressive responses. It is crucial that we know what happened here. It is imperative that we teach what happened here. It is vital that we engage with what was written and created in response to what happened here.
Anna Sophia Flood is a M.A./Ph.D candidate.